Button-fasten ing



(No Model.) W WIGGINS.

V BUTTON lJEASTEBTIABIG. No. 268,336. Patented Nov. 28, 1882.

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l vided with my improved fastener.

WILLIAM WIGGINS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-FASTEN NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,336, dated November28,1882,

' Application ined september 3o, issn. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WIGGINS, of y Boston, in the county ot'Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedShoe-Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention consists of a clasp device dcsigned to be elnployed forfastening shoes of the kind t'or which buttons are employed, the objectbeing to avoid the wear and tear of' the buttons and holes and avoidInuchof the labor and loss of time required to fasten button-shoes, andit iscontrived for the application ot buttons, also to give theappearance of button-shoes when required, but may be used without thebuttons, if desired, all as hereinafter fully described.

Referenceis to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecilication, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoe pro- Fg. 2 is an end elevation ofthe fastener. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the fastening-platesthrough the catch device; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of theplates through the joint by which the button ily-plate and the buttonsare attached to it.

I attach a catch-plate, a, of thin metal, to the side of the upperb,that is covered by the button-Hy c, securing it by rivets d, havingsuitably large and flat heads inside to avoid hurting the foot of thewearer, or byany other approved means, the rivets or other fasteningsheilig located along the outer edge of the plate to hold it down closeon the leather b thereat, so that it will confine the button-Hy snugly.The inner edge ot' the plate a has a ange,f, turned upward an'd overtoward the outer edge, and between said ange and said outer'edge of theplate a itis provided with a hook-catch, g, which is raised above thesurface about the thickness of'the plate It, attached to the button-flyc, for fastening the. fly to the plate a, plate h, having a hole, t',made through it for the catch. 'lhis plate h is attached to thebutton-fly near its edge by a wire, k, to which the buttons lare alsofastened, said rod being secured in a kind of knuckle or hinge joint, j,of the plate, which is nicked at suitable intervals for receiving theeyes m of the buttons. The buttons are by this contrivance attached tothe button-dy in the same positions along the edge as in an ordinarybutton-shoe, the connection being by the same device that attaches theplate, and which is much stronger than sewing or riveting them onseparately, and the plate is employed for fastening the ily to avoid thewear and damage of the button and button-hole arrangement, which itiswell known is very damaging to the shoe by the effects of thebuttonhook. In this arrangement the plate h serves a's a lever-fastenerto first draw the button-dy tight by placing the inner edge, n, underthe iiangef, the outer edge being elevated, and then swinging the outeredge down, and the fly-plate also being pressed downward a little towardthe toe ofthe shoe from its normal position, to enable the catchg toenter hole 'i and engage and hold plate h, when it is shifted upwardagain into its proper position after the catch has been thus entered.The edge n and Ilangef guide the hook g and notch ,so as to connectwithout special care or attention.

Thus I provide a neat, substantial, and easily-operating fastening,which preserves all thc appearance of a button-shoe, when so desired,and may be used without the buttons, if preferred. When it is to beapplied to low shoes having only three or four buttons, one set or pairot plates will be used; but for higher shoes two or more pairs ot'plates may be employed, because the shape ofA the ankle will not allowot' the use of plates longer than about the. range of four buttons.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in a shoe-fastener, of theplate a, having tlangefand hook g, adapted to be attached tothe side bof the shoe, and the plate h, havingfhole i, and adapted tothe attachedto the fly c, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the iiy c and plate h, oi` the wirelc andbuttons l. forming ajoint, j, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM WIGGIN S.

Witnesses:

L. H. D. SIIEPHERD, WALTER W. J AcKsoN.

